The new year and a new decade have brought with it some exciting changes. A new ban on plastics on Oahu is now in effect, prohibiting Oahu retailers from distributing plastic bags to shoppers immediately. By 2021, basically all plastic utensils will be banned, as well as plastic containers from restaurants by 2022.
When plastics end up in the ocean, not only do they harm wildlife that become tangled in them, they also degrade the water quality and affect all of us at some point in our lives. The implementation of this law does not mean that single use plastics will suddenly vanish, but we can take the proper steps to make sure they’re discarded of properly and recycled whenever possible.
In preparation for these changes, here are some simple steps that can be taken to make the transition fairly seamless.
- Bring a reusable shopping bag when making a trip to any retailer.
- Keep a reusable straw in your bag, at your desk at work or wherever you may consume
- Get a set of bamboo utensils and bring your own reusable containers when ordering takeout.
Learn more about Bill 40 here: http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-248953/ORD19-030.pdf